The apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has declared that any prospects of reconciliation between President Bola Tinubu and the Northern region have reached an irreparable point.
Meanwhile, political leaders seeking to unseat the Tinubu-led All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027 have yet to decide on a political platform for their coalition.
Ohanaeze noted that despite Tinubu’s numerous presidential appointments and infrastructural promises, his once-flourishing alliance with the North in 2023 has now crumbled.
In a statement on Monday, Ohanaeze’s factional Deputy President-General, Okechukwu Isiguzoro, stated that the North had abandoned Tinubu in favor of alliances with South-East and Niger Delta leaders to remove him from office in 2027.
According to Ohanaeze, “it is imperative to convey to Tinubu the stark and unvarnished truth: Without the immediate reversal of critical Federal Government policies and the expeditious implementation of substantial corrective measures, the suffering masses of Nigeria will inevitably gravitate towards the narratives being advanced by opposition coalitions, particularly those spearheaded by Northern leaders, advocating a transformative change in leadership.”
The organization urged the Federal Government to change its approach to governance and conduct a credible national census in 2025.
“Ohanaeze Ndigbo urges the Federal Government to undertake a paradigmatic shift in its approach. It is essential to demystify the perceived numerical dominance of the North through a credible national census in 2025. This census must incorporate mandatory inclusions of ethnicity and religious identity, thus unveiling the true demographic realities of our nation.”
Ohanaeze further claimed that the North’s opposition to including these details in previous census exercises “speaks volumes about their awareness of this demographic truth.”
The group outlined conditions for Tinubu to secure their support in 2027, including the creation of a sixth state in the South-East, the revitalization of the Eastern Economic Corridor, and the unconditional release of Nnamdi Kanu.
Meanwhile, in a separate statement on Monday, former APC National Vice Chairman Salihu Lukman clarified that coalition leaders— including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, former Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi, and former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola— had not yet agreed on candidate selection or zoning arrangements.
Lukman accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of blocking the coalition’s attempt to register a new political party and explained that consultations were still ongoing.
He stated, “Once consultation is concluded, a formal announcement will be made with all the details regarding composition of membership, programme of action towards 2027, and framework for contesting the 2027 elections.”
Lukman emphasized that the coalition’s focus was on securing committed leadership rather than personal ambitions.
“These two issues are carefully being negotiated. While acknowledging that with respect to the requirement for members to set aside personal ambitions, there are strong interests being expressed around issues of zoning by individual leaders. These issues have yet to be formally discussed at any consultation meeting.”
He accused the APC-led government of attempting to turn Nigeria into a one-party state and stressed that the coalition’s goal was to restore democracy and accountability in leadership.
“Rescuing Nigerian democracy is beyond simplistic debates of fielding candidates and the associated debates of the quality and where they come from. Everything must be done to produce elected leaders at all levels who will be accountable in every respect and democratic in their dealings with Nigerians. Everything must be done to close this chapter of democratic national frustrations, which only produces emperors. This is the goal of the coalition, for which we appeal for the support of all patriotic Nigerians. We don’t envisage it will be an easy task, but we are determined to succeed,” Lukman said.
